Sermon and Worship Resources

Showing 251 to 275 of 1138 results

Exodus 22:16-31, Leviticus 19:1-37, Deuteronomy 34:1-12, Matthew 22:34-46, 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10; 2:1-16

Sermon Aid

Russell F. Anderson

... and defend the disadvantaged child, so God's heart reaches out to the weak. Epistle: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-8 1. Sermon Title: The Real Thing. Sermon Angle: How do you tell authentic Christian faith from that which is phony? The bogus variety seeks to please humans, so as to gain power and personal advantage. Bona fide faith, the real thing, only strives to please God. Another differentiation: the real thing stays above board, open and honest, while counterfeit religion seeks to disguise its base motives ...

252. Those Who Mourn

Sermon

John A. Terry

... it would be helpful for us to gather all those interested and talk about loss, mourning, and grief. We met over a series of Sunday nights. I thought we would be talking just about loss through death. However, we ended up discussing a great variety of losses. Some in the group were grieving a loss because of a death. Others were grieving because they had lost a job. Others grieved over having to leave their hometown. Others were grieving over shattered family relationships. One mourned the loss of physical ...

253. Times Of Refreshing

Acts 3:11-26

Sermon

E. Carver McGriff

... young fellow. As the guard stood just out of sight, he heard the boy's words: "I want my dad." Yes. Our words and actions cannot be recalled. The harm, once inflicted, is done. Melodramatic example? Perhaps. But all of us, under the impulse of such a variety of unwholesome driving forces, do and say things which hurt. And then we must live with them. There are those people, we are told, who do not experience remorse for these things. I have no idea what fate is theirs. But if we see it, and allow ourselves ...

254. The Sadness Of God

Isaiah 51:17--52:12

Sermon

E. Carver McGriff

... every one to his own way ... we have all gone astray." This is what some philosophers call "the human condition." In truth, try as we will, though perhaps the majority of us manage to avoid the more obvious forms of wrongdoing, all of us in a variety of ways, however subtle, manage at times to act in ways that are self-centered. And, once in awhile, we're downright hurtful. In our most reasonable moments, we surely realize that if our universe is to hold together morally, there must be accountability for ...

255. Rainbow In The Sky

Genesis 9:1-17

Sermon

E. Carver McGriff

... to nose. As the bubbles drifted towards the surface, one know-it-all fish said to the other: "Frankly, I don't believe this silly talk about water. Take it from me, it's a myth to comfort the weak." We're lucky that God has unlimited patience and a variety of ways to get through to us. But make no mistake, God is near, and never so actively near as when our lives seem shrouded in darkness. So the third thing to say here: God is not only present, but actively involved. Some time ago, I clipped a little item ...

256. Rules For A Happy Life

Exodus 20:1-21

Sermon

E. Carver McGriff

... idea at great, if to some extent confusing, length. He held that laws were necessary until the time of Jesus, but were no longer needed once Jesus' ministry was completed. But the New Testament is filled with admonitions as to how a Christian is to act in a variety of situations. If these admonitions are not laws as such, they certainly serve a similar purpose. Clearly, if we could all embody the love of Christ in its fullness, we'd instinctively do what is right. But as yet that's not the case. Most of us ...

257. Liberating Truth

John 8:31-41

Sermon

William G. Carter

... provides no assurance we will be more obedient or truthful. Neither can we expect schooling to guarantee peace of mind or unity among enemies. The southern novelist Walker Percy was trained as a physician. His medical training gave him the ability to diagnose a variety of diseases which reflect a deeper malaise in our culture. In one of his articles, he noted: The deeper we get into the century, the more sense people make, but they are making different kinds of senses which don't compute with each other ...

258. Double Image

Matthew 5:1-12

Sermon

William G. Carter

... , the peacemakers, the pure in heart, those hungry and thirsty for righteousness, and those persecuted for righteousness' sake. Needless to say, the pronunciation of blessings on such people is an act that most of us don't completely understand. Jesus' beatitudes list a variety of characteristics that sketch the kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. Yet precisely here, where we expect his teachings to be the clearest, the full meaning of what he says lies outside our reach. As he offers a glimpse of the ...

259. A Taste Of Life

Mark 14:12-26

Sermon

William G. Carter

The workshop was winding up. About 25 pleasant church people had gathered in central Pennsylvania to take part in a workshop on worship. The better part of a Saturday morning had dealt with a variety of topics, such as the order of worship, the role of music, the place of preaching, and whether or not children should come to the Lord's table. A few stomachs were growling for lunch when I asked, "Does anybody have any questions?" Most people smiled and sat in that ...

260. Pass It On

John 1:43-51

Sermon

John A. Stroman

... Florida you have to select the right flowers that can withstand the hot summer sun and the rather dry conditions. One flower that does well in the summer is the zinnia. It thrives in the hot summer and provides a magnificent array of beautiful colors. There is one variety of zinnia that is called "Cut and Come Again." It is well-named. When one flower is cut it seems like three blossoms are ready to take its place. The more you cut and give away, the more you have. That is exactly what happens when you ...

261. With Our Heads In The Clouds

Mark 9:2-13

Sermon

John A. Stroman

... of the time. At school we were vaccinated against polio, ending the fear of what was a dreaded disease. I remember the day the first television set was delivered to our home. I remember when the corner store was replaced by the supermarket overflowing with variety and abundance. I remember seeing for the first time the vapor trail of the new jet plane and staring at it until it disappeared. There was an endless array of gadgets and machines. No problems in those days seemed beyond solution. Good times and ...

262. He Abides In Us

John 15:1-17

Sermon

Harry N. Huxhold

... for which we have been created. In the very same way we look for foliage on the vine, God scrutinizes our lives for some signs of productivity. All of creation exists under that searching examination by God. That searching comes into our lives in a variety of ways. God works through many means. God gets at us through nature, parents, superiors, government and what have you. God's Standard What we should appreciate about God's judgment is that it is more than likely quite different from what most of us ...

263. Resist Temptation

Mark 1:9-13

Sermon

Harry N. Huxhold

... day of his life. Of all of those temptations, the most troublesome ones had to be the kind of temptation he experienced in the very beginning of his ministry. Those temptations had to do with the use of power, and they were repeated in a variety of ways throughout his ministry. Though the Markan account of our Lord's temptation appears very brief, it does include important observations which are most important for us to note. Spirit-driven The very first thing Mark records is that our Lord was involved in ...

264. Let Me See Your Shoes!

John 13:4

Children's Sermon

B. Kathleen Fannin

... . Twenty-four little feet emerge from where they have been curled under dresses and slacks, showing off everything from stiff, dressed-up, uncomfortable-looking shoes to a pair of sandals and even a pair of red-and-white striped rubber-soled loafers. I admire the variety they present, then immediately switch to what must surely seem like a non sequitur when I ask, "Did you know the church has a library?" Looking puzzled, as if trying to figure out what my question has to do with shoes, a number of children ...

265. No Strings Attached

John 3:16

Children's Sermon

B. Kathleen Fannin

... animal with a "leash" of rubber bands. Lesson: Generosity; stinginess. "My stuffed cat, Cecil, and I would like to invite all the young people to come join us on the steps at this time." So do I begin yet another children's sermon, trying to add a little variety by including the stuffed toy in my invitation, the name of the cat coming to me simultaneously with the thought. As the children settle down, I ask one of them to hold "Cecil," to whom I have attached a "leash" of rubber bands. As I hand the cat ...

266. Those Who Mourn

Isaiah 40:1-31

Sermon

John A. Terry

267. Called To Freedom

Galatians 5:1-15

Drama

Jerry Eckert

... at that time. For the purposes of this book, I decided to include only this one story sermon as an illustration. I included no introduction because I had already traced the stories of both Paul and Barnabas in previous sermons of the more normal variety. And I had pulled no punches about how Paul came across (untranslatable nasty language in Galatians, for example). Fortunately, the lay person reading the Paul part was able to be nasty-sounding enough to make this work okay. Paul: Hello. Barnabas: Paul, is ...

268. Signs of the End of the Age

Mark 13:1-31, Mark 13:32-37

Sermon Aid

Richard A. Jensen

... 3:1-6); by the scribes who had come down from Jerusalem (3:20-30); and by his own family (3:31-35). What is going on here? Will everyone reject the coming reign of God? The Parable of the Sower (Mark 4:1-34) says NO! There are a variety of kinds of hearers of the good news. There are "path" hearers and "rocky ground" hearers and "thorn" hearers, to be sure, but there are also those who will bear fruit thirty, sixty and a hundredfold. The kingdom of God, after all, is like a seed scattered on the ground ...

269. The Temptation of Christ

Mark 1:9-13

Sermon Aid

Richard A. Jensen

... plot summary of the first part of Mark's Gospel. Jesus has come preaching. The time is fulfilled. People are to repent and believe. But the soil of human hearts is not always ready to receive the blessings of the One Who Sows. We can tell of the variety of soils and their response to the Sower. Be careful in following this suggestion, however, that the message is not simply a kind of imperative that demands of people that they be good soil. The good news is not that we can make ourselves good soil. The good ...

270. Feeding the 5000

Mark 6:30-44

Sermon Aid

Richard A. Jensen

... One thing is absolutely clear. For Pharisees and disciples alike, Jesus' great signs of feeding did not lead to faith. What does this mean for us?! Homiletical Directions We've put a lot of material together in our comments above which creates a great variety of story possibilities for preaching. Mark has only three stories that deal with bread. Jesus feeds two multitudes with bread and he breaks bread with his disciples on the Passover (Mark 14:22-25). This text, this institution of the Lord's Supper, will ...

271. Loving God with Our Whole Being

Mark 12:28-34

Bulletin Aid

RobertT D. Ingram

... presenting a concert to God. Use a mixture of choruses and hymns for the congregation to sing their love to God. The ones marked with an asterisk (*) above would all be suitable for such a purpose. Use choirs, soloists, and other special groupings to provide variety and to sing music that would not be possible for the whole congregation. Use instrumentalists to lift up other notes of love to God's ears. Liturgical dancers could add another form of expression to the love songs. Even a small child with just a ...

272. Christmas 2

Matthew 25:31-46

Bulletin Aid

RobertT D. Ingram

... with the Doctors." See Durer: The Complete Engravings, Etchings and Woodcuts, by Karl Adolf Knape (New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1965) for a reproduction. This person can then sketch (or trace) Durer's wonderful interpretation portraying the wide variety of responses to the youthful Jesus. Other intrepretations have been portrayed by various artists, including Rembrandt. This sketch or tracing can be used for a worship bulletin cover and for a sermon illustration. Anthems and Special Music (Matthew 25 ...

273. Celebrating the Marvel of Growth

Mark 4:30-34, Mark 4:26-29

Sermon

Charles R. Leary

... Palestine: it began with a tiny seed and grew to a height of about twelve feet, with very widespread branches. It exuded a pleasant aroma that anyone would welcome in the backyard. It was a nesting place for birds. And it produced an herb that had a variety of uses. The essence of Jesus’ message is this: we are in a dynamic world, a world of change and growth. Something is always happening here! And what is happening is exciting. Get on board and share in it. That is significantly different from the ever ...

274. Teach Fear To Say Its Prayers

Mark 4:35-41

Sermon

Charles R. Leary

... born with a gift of buoyancy, have a greater ability to ride the waves. Be thankful and offer a hand to someone not so blessed. Some are, by nature, allergic to the anxieties of the times. They need the help of you gifted ones. William James, in Varieties of Religious Experience, deals with two types of people: those who seem to have started life with a bottle or two of champagne in their hands; and those others who seem to have been close to the pain threshold which the slight irritant fatally trips. We ...

275. Would That God. . .

Mark 10:46-52

Sermon

Thomas Peterson

... to see, to be made well must surrender their self-wills. Someone else grants them the privilege of seeing themselves as others see him: facts, seeing into the self, seeing for the self, and finally faithfully following. Encounters like these happen to each of us in a wide variety of ways. In fact, they happen in the sharpest light whenever you and I go to Jesus. “Jesus, help me; do me good; get me what I want. Have mercy on me.” “What do you want me to do for you?” Well, for starters we wish to be ...

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